David Silva could be fighting it out with Lionel Messi to be the world’s number one player – had he not joined Manchester City!

That’s the verdict of Blues boss Roberto Mancini after seeing the brilliant little Spaniard dismantle Wigan and supply Sergio Aguero with a hat-trick on Saturday.

But Mancini is not belittling City – and believes that in the next year or two, when City are winning major honours and contending for the Champions League, Silva truly will be seen as one of the planet’s elite footballers like Messi.

Silva was unplayable at the Etihad Stadium, and Mancini was thankful the Blues had pulled off the coup of snatching the former Valencia star from under the noses of Barca and Real Madrid.

He said: “If he had gone to Barca two years ago, everyone would be saying he’s one of the best players in the world – and he is one of the best players in the world.

“He’s different from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo because they are strikers and score a lot of goals but I think he’s the same as Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

“Silva is a top, top player. I don’t know why he didn’t go to Barca or Real Madrid, because he’s Spanish, but we are lucky because he’s here.

“And not only him because we also have Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, James Milner – we have a good team but we have to improve still.”

Silva is being kept out of the Spanish national team by Barcelona pair Xavi and Iniesta, but that works in the Blues’ favour as he only played a 90-minute friendly during the recent international break, leaving him fresh for the Wigan game.

Mancini feels some personal sympathy for Silva, having two superstar players ahead of him in the Spanish squad, but he is delighted from City’s perspective: “It’s good for the club!” he said.

City also trumped neighbours United in landing Silva – the Reds tried to sign him in 2008 but had a bid turned down by Valencia.

And the player’s brilliant start to the season has even drawn praise from the other side of the great Manchester divide.

Paddy Crerand, the midfield schemer for United in the 1960s, believes the Blues have picked up the natural successor to former Red mainstay Paul Scholes, who retired this summer.

“Silva is Manchester City’s best player by far,” said Crerand, who won the European Cup with United in 1968.

“He creates, he scores and is blessed with great movement and imagination.”